11 Hollywood Movies That Were Huge In China

With Americans increasingly avoiding high tickets prices at the theater and getting their entertainment at home through online streaming, foreign film markets are becoming more important to movie studios, especially the growing business in China. We've compiled a list of some of the most successful American films at the Chinese box office, and why they ended up resonating with audiences there.

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How Many Movie Theaters Are There In China?

As of 2015, the number of screens in China was estimated at 31,882. The number in the US has been estimated at around 33,000, which means China is quickly eclipsing the United States in terms of its potential number of moviegoers. There are many differences in these markets, both in terms of revenue and in the number of foreign films that can get through to a particular audience, but global markets seem to be the way of the future for Hollywood, and China will be a huge part of that.

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China has the second largest amount of moviegoers in the world, which makes the Chinese audience very important to the movie industry. Even though online streaming platforms are available, cinemas are still very popular in the country. Here are several Hollywood movies that became hits in this increasingly vital marketplace.

#1: "The Fate of the Furious." The 8th installment in "The Fast and the Furious" franchise, the film features Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The movie dominated Chinese cinemas in its opening weekend, and the growing influence of western culture, combined with the big action, made it a big hit with filmgoers.

#2: "Transformers: Age of Extinction." The 2014 entry in the "Transformers" franchise made a big push for the Chinese market, with a giant statue of Optimus Prime displayed in Hong Kong when it premiered. The movie was warmly welcomed due to the series' popularity and the fact that some of it was filmed in China. One of the highest-grossing releases in the country's history, it earned $222.74 million after just 2 weeks.

#3: "Zootopia." Disney's animated film successfully surpassed "Kung Fu Panda 3" at the Chinese box office in 2016. The cute characters easily crossed cultural boundaries, and fans even made art of the main characters.

#4: "Warcraft." The famous video game was adapted into a movie in 2016 and took over the country as soon as it was released in cinemas. In addition, Chinese gamers comprise a huge percentage of Warcraft players, numbering in the millions, and contributing to the film's success.

#5: "Avengers: Age of Ultron." When the movie was first introduced in China, it received a lot of negative attention because of a poorly-translated script that confused viewers. But it was still a hit upon release in 2015, with a record-breaking $150 million in its first six days in theaters.

#6: "Jurassic World." When this revival of the "Jurassic Park" franchise hit theaters, it once again proved that the special effects and action-packed stories of Hollywood movies are a huge draw for Chinese viewers. The dino movie was able to beat out competitors like Japanese animated film "Stand By Me," and Warner Brothers' tentpole "San Andreas," leading the box office for two consecutive weeks.

#7: "Avatar." Jame's Cameron's sci-fi movie made history in 2009 when it became the highest-grossing movie of all time, not only in China, but all over the world. "Avatar" took in $2.6 billion, which overtook Cameron's 1997 movie, "Titanic." The Chinese government wanted to pull 2D versions of "Avatar" to give way to the film "Confucius," which caused some fans to call for a boycott against the Chinese biopic.

#8: "Ready Player One." This futuristic blockbuster was such a huge hit in China that it became the biggest movie Warner Brothers ever launched in the country. It received glowing reviews from moviegoers for its nostalgic pop culture references.

#9: "The Great Wall." A co-production between American and Chinese studios, it opened with $66 million in 2016. Chinese viewers were excited to watch a movie that had a Chinese cast and crew, and a story based on their culture.

#10: "Kong: Skull Island." Since his first appearance in 1933, King Kong has been popular all over the world. In 2017, the giant ape made a comeback to the big screen with a new movie, featuring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly. Although it wasn't a huge hit in the US, it still reached the $500 million threshold due to its popularity in China and other foreign markets.

#11: "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter." The sixth film of the "Resident Evil" series was even more successful than its predecessors. The makers of the movie partnered with a Chinese brand, which was one of the reasons why it became a hit in China. The marketing efforts made for the film played a big role in its success.

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